Your Career and the Dark Side of the Moon!
December 11, 2014
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Posted by Admin9!
You can say it any way you want to, but “keep your business to yourself”. In today’s wired world too many professionals broadcast things that never would have been exposed before. Don’t make that mistake!
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A news flash about four years ago about our closest celestial neighbor, the Moon, disclosed some secrets that many might not even have know were even secrets. Despite common sayings and even albums (Pink Floyd ‘The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973 and many others) many don’t realize that the far side of the Moon, let’s call it the “Dark Side” had not generally been seen by the public until a few years ago.
The Moon does not revolve on an axis as the earth does, so we constantly see one side. What does this have to do with sales? Being the consummate sales professional has much to do with how you conduct yourself with your employer, your co-workers, and your customers. As a Black professional your personal life, well… much of it, should be less visible than the ‘dark side of the Moon’ to many who you interact with in business.
You are developing your sales persona, and it is your ‘brand’ so it is your responsibility to manage what everyone sees and knows about you. You will overcome obstacles in the process, but you don’t want anything that will make it tougher. With a few exceptions you are in control of this, and you should exercise that control wisely.
Self-Inflicted Damage
This post is important as much of the damage regarding what is said or released is considered “self-inflicted” damage.
The topics for this ‘self-inflicted’ damage includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Politics
- Race Relations
- Religion
- Family
- Company Management
- Salary and benefits
- Interracial Relationships
- Sexual Relationships
Above all, remember a most important lesson. As indicated in Black Sales Journal 10/27/11 – The 3 Unmentionables for the Black Sales Professional, avoid talking about the following;
- Politics
- Race Relations
- Religion
The Scene of the Crime
The forums and situations that you have utterances and conversations about these topics are many. The people that you have these situations with can be the familiar to a network broadcast (social media).
Co-workers – Treat the people that you work with like they are people you work with. They are not your best friends, and don’t need access to your life story, your relationships, and your ‘master plan to beat the man’. What you say at the bar or club can come back to haunt you. Some solid examples appear in the following posts:
- Friends, Co-Workers, and Vampires (Black Sales Journal 1/30/2012)
- Friends at Work (Black Sales Journal 5/23/2011)
Social Media – Wow! This one deserves more discussion than we can give here. Do you need to post those pictures of you with the dreaded ‘red cup’? Social media makes it easy to find something to criticize. This is the broadcast that we spoke of earlier. Your personal life is your business and you should recognize that there is no context specified on social media, it is just ‘out there’.
Customers – You never know what perceptions the customer has until you have the deepest of relationships. That is only going to happen with a select number of customers. This means that you still must project your brand. For the Black sales professional I suggest that there is no casual day at a customer location that you need to participate in, wear your uniform (Your suit or business attire). You are the professional. There is no usage of slang and colloquial terms and foul language.
The customer will only know about your family and friends what you tell them. Even if he tells you about his brother Rick, who smokes something that smells funny, that does not mean that you need to air your family’s dirty laundry. You might read the item below to see the importance:
Management – Your manager needs to know you. Actually, your manager needs to know the ‘you that you want him to know’. This is “image management” in its finest sense. Do you want management to know all of your past? Do you want them to know the nature and depth of your intimate relationships? Do you want them to know that you have relatives that are incarcerated? I say why have those types of conversations and disclosures? Now you may think that this does not happen, but it does. Be careful because as I have said before “You cannot put toothpaste back in the tube”.
I say that your superiors should know the things that will shape your brand! You are a hard worker…you worked your way through school. You have perseverance and stick-to-it-ness…you were an athlete on scholarship. You have a good personality and good values and can show it, stick to that type of disclosure.
No discussions on religion, race relations, and politics. Don’t be baited.
Build a Brand for Yourself
We will cover this more in February and March, as it deserves it. When you go this route, you use each of the above, social media, co-workers, management, and the customer to make it happen. It is not an easy process, and it requires that each input and contact be carried out with forethought and consistency.
Always be the best!
Your comments are appreciated.
Categories: African American Sales Professionals, Black Business Owners, Black Entreprenuers, Black Professionals, Black Salesmen, Black Saleswomen, Job Advice, Racial Perceptions in Sales, Success Tips for Black Sales Professionals
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Tags: African American sales professionals, Black Entrepreneurs, Black Professionals, Black sales professionals, Customer perceptions, Job Advice for African American Sales People, Relationship Strategies, Relationship Strategies for African American sales professionals, Relationship Strategies for Black Sales Professionals, Sales Success Strategies
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